Means for the maintenance of gas in confinement.



s. E. BRETHERTON. MEANS FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF GAS IN GQNFINEMENT. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, 1912.

1,082,797. Patented Dec.30,1913.

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WITNESSES INVENTOH BY monm's SIDNEY ELLIOTT BRETHERTON, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

MEANS FOR THE MIINTENANCE GAS IN CONFINEMENT,

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

Application filed October 9, 1912. Serial No. 724,801.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY E. BRETHE TON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Means for the Maintenanceof Gas in Confinement, of which. the "following is a full, clear, and exact description. p

The invention relates to metallurgical and similar processes, and its'object is to provide a new and improved means for the m'aintenapce of gas in confinement while agitntinjg isiecanting and refilling vessels wit-h solutions either continuously or intermittently}. and without danger of free air from outside sources passing into. the apparatus, thus preventing dilution of the gas and impairment of the decantingprocess. In order to produce .the desired result, use

is made of at least two closed vessels connected' with each. other at the top to allow gas to pass from one receptacle into the other during the time the liquid in one re 'feptacle is decanted while the othe is charged.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying/drawing forming a part of this specification, in'whi h 80 the figure is a sectional side elevation of a pair ofore agitators forming part of the ammonia extraction plant for the extractionof copper, zinc and other metals from slimed ores and leaving the residue in a. 85 more suitable condition for the extraction of gold and silver by any of the old methods,

' cyaniding or smelting.

' Two closed vesselsA andA, of like 0on struction are preferably arranged in close 40 proiiimity'one to the other, as indicated-in p the drawing, and the said vessels A and A are provided with hopper-shaped bottoms B, B from the apexes of which extendpipes C, C. The. pipes ,C, C are connected by branch pipjesD, D" with thegdischarge pipe E of a pump}? of appii'oived construction, preferably a centrifugal'pump driven fromiasui-ta'ble motor'G. The branch i es a v i p p following schedule: 1, filling A (decanting nos D 9116* Dare provided intermediate the 59 pi es C-s'and E and the pipes Eand C with va ves D jand D The inletpipe'H. of the pump F is provided with a-pip'e I, connected.-

valved branch pipes with various tanks (not shown). for pumping difierent solut ons as requireel'xinetlre carrying out of the de sired el e si was h I being provided adjacentthe pipe H with a valve 1'. From the branch/pipes D, D intermediate thepipe E and the valves D D,

extend pipes J, J opening into the vessels 60 V A, A a distance above the lower ends thereof, as plainly indicated in the drawing. The pipes J, J are provided with valves J J and the inner upturned ends J J of the pipes J, J discharge into the lower 5 ends of agitating tubes K, K suspended vertically within the vessels A, A and terminating at their upper ends a distance from the tops of the vessels A, A. The pipe H is connected with pipes L, L provided with valves L and having their upper up t i rned nds"L* L extending into settling tubes N', N suspended within the upper portion of the vessels A and A, as indicated in the drawing. Decanters O 0 preferably of the'floating type are adapted to float on the levels of the liquids with which the vessels A and A are filled, as hereinatter more fully described, and the said floating decan ers O, O are connected by flexible pipes so 0 with pipes 0*, 0 having valves O and leading to a pipe .0 connected with a sump tank for receiving the liquid decanted out of the vessels A and-A, and which liquid is to be pumped from the sump 5 tank into a copperprecipitating'tank, not shown. Gages 'P. and P are arranged on the-vessels A, A to indicate the level of the liquidsor solutions contained therein. The upper ends of the vessels A and A are con- .nected with. each other by a pipe Qfor conducting-the gas contained in the upper portion of one-vessel'intothe upper portion of I the other vessel to permit the proper decant- -ing-of the liquid from one vessel while filling the other vessel with the desired liquid. From the pipes C and C lead the discharge pipes R, R provided with valves R R and connected with a pipe R for conducting the residue to a suitable place of discharge,

as hereinafter more fully described, that is,

to a filter press or to leaching tanks for the extraction of the gold and silver. The operation takes place according tothe washA) 2, agitating A (removing residue A) "3, decanting A, filling A; 4, rest, ag'rtatm'gA; 5, fillingwash A, decanting A; '6,ag1tating wash A, rest; 7, decanting wash A, filling wash A '8, removing residues A, agitating wash A.

In detail the operation is as follows: Prewash water from the vessel A suming that the vessel A is filling with slimed ore while. the wash water from a previous operation is decanting in the vessel A, the several parts then being in the position shown in Fig. 1. During this operation all the valves except the valves I, D and. O are closed and the pipe I is connected with a tank containing slimed ore so that the latter is pumped by the pump F into the vessel A, while the wash water in the vessel A is decanted by way of the decanter O, pipes 0 O and O When the vessel A is filled, the valves I, D and C) are closed and the valves J and L are opened so that the pump F oirculates the solution in, the Vessel'A, thatis, produces hydraulic agitation therein. During this time the "alve R is opened so that the residues in the vessel are run off to a filter press or to leaching tanks for the extraction of gold and silver. When this has been done the valve R is again closed. The liquid contained in the vessel A is now decanted by opening the valve 0 so that the clear solution flowsout of the vessel A by way of the decanter O,

flexible tube 0 and pipes 0 O The clear solution flows to a sump tank from which it is pumped to a copper precipitator. During this decanting operation the valves I and D are opened to fill the vessel A with a slimed ore solution. The residue in the vessel A remains at rest While the solution contained in the vessel A is subjected to hydraulic action by opening the valves J and L After the agitation in the vessel A has been completed the valves J 3 and L are closed and the pump F is now utilized for pumping wash water containing the necessary amount of ammonia solution into the vessel A from a tank containing such solution, the valves I and D being opened for the purpose. During this operation decanting takes place in the vessel'A by opening the valve 0 to run the clear solution out of the'vessel Aby way of the decanter O, flexible tube 0 pipes O and 0 The clear solution flows to a sump tank from which it is pumped to a copper precipitator. The next action is producing hy draulic agitation in the vessel A of the wash water contained therein, and during this time the solution in the vessel A remains at rest. The next operation is decanting the while filling the vessel A with wash water. Then the residues are removed from the vessel A while the wash water is agitated in the vessel A. The above described operation can then be repeatedg' F rom the foregoing it will be seen that the decanting operation in each vessel A and A is carried out without the admission of atmospheric air, it being understood that the gas contained in the vessel A can flow into the'vessel. A at the time decanting takes vessels, the decantin place in the latter, and the vessel A" is filled -with the slimed ore solution, and the gas can pass from the vessel A into the vessel A at the time decanting takes place in the vessel A and the vessel A is filled with slimed ore solution. By the arrangement described dilution of the gas and impairment ofthe decanting process is completely avoided. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire. to secure by Letters Patent: I

1. An apparatus, of the class "described, comprising at least two closed vessels, a gaseonducting connectionbetween the upper ends ,of the vessels to allow gas from, one vessel to ass into the other, means for alternately fillin the vessels, and means for alternatelydecanting the liquids in the of the liquid in one vessel taking place w ile the other vessel is filled.

2. An apparatus of the class described', comprising at least twoclosed vessels, a gasconducting connection between the upper ends of the vessels to allow gas from one vessel to pass into the other, means for alternately filling the vessels, means for alternately decanting the liquids in the vessels, the decanting of the li uid in one vessel taking place while the ot er vessel is filled,

and means for producing-alternate hydraulic agitation in the said vessels at the time the corresponding vessel is filled.

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising at least two closed vessels, a gasconducting connection between the upper" ends of the vessels to allow gas from one vessel-to pass into the other, means for alternately filling the vessels, means for alternately' decanting the liquids in the vessels, the decanting of the liquid in one vessel taking place while the other vessel is filled, means for producing alternate hydraulic agitation in the said vessels at the time the corresponding vessel is filled,'and means for alternately drawing oil the residue from the lower ends of the vessels.

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising at least two closed vessels of like construction and each having a hoppershaped bottom, a gas-conducting pipe connecting the upper ends of the said vessels with each other, an agitating pipe suspended in the said vessels, a pump having three valved connections with each vessel, one pipe connection opening into the apex of the bottom of the corresponding vessel, another pipe connection opening centrally into one of the agitating pipes and the third pipe connection opening into the other agitating pipe, decanters in the said vessel, a discharge pipe having valved connections with the said decanters, and valved discharge pipes con nected with the lower ends of the vessels,

An apparatus for the maintenance of In testimony whereof I have signed my gas in confinement, comprising at least two name to this specification in the presence of 10 closed vessel's, means for alternaely 1filling two subscribing witnesses. and emptying the vessels means or ecant- Y ing the liquid in one vessel- While filling the SIDNEY ELLIOPT BRETHERTOB other vessel, and means for conducting the \Vitnesses: gas from the filling Vessel into the decanting FLORA HALL, vessel. A. E. Lowmn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 'of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

